The Unicorn: William's Origins
by PaperMoonWolf
Summary: William was born in a place with strict rules, and laws based off of their god, Sasper. One of the first rules of their order is that unicorns are unlawful to their god. William, however, was born a unicorn to a member of the sect. He isn't content there for long, and he must learn that for some the way to a happy, safe life is a long and harrowing one.


There were rules that were placed on the ponies that lived here for a reason. The rules were there to keep them safe, to prevent terrible, unspeakable things from happening to them. That's all the young mare could think about as she struggled with her burden, hooves slipping in the mud as she tried to find a safe place to give birth.

"Please," she begged the darkening heavens, hoping that somepony, even if it wasn't the one pony she betrayed in the heavens, would hear her and have mercy upon her. "Please, if you must take me, just don't take my William."

The stallion had had a white coat like hers, but unlike her green mane, his was a rich, arrogant purple. It should have been a warning just as prevalent as the horn that peaked from his brow, but she could only see the love and compassion they shared. He was going to take care of her, and they were going to live happily ever after.

She had decided on the name the moment she knew she was pregnant with a foal. She supposed it could be a girl, but that wouldn't be right. He would be a boy, and he would be a priest, immensely smart, and loyal. He would never disappear on her the day before she realized she was pregnant. He would be a caring colt to put his father to shame. Mares, she thought bitterly, could easily be tricked by suave words, and dragged into a state of stupid complacency. Not a stallion. A stallion was a hero, or they were the villain. Never the victim. This would be a colt.

She whispered the words of her temple's covenant again and again under her breath as the convulsions began, and she couldn't get comfortable no matter what she did, pressed under the curling roots of a great tree. She doubted she would be much more comfortable with harsh eyes on her from all directions, but she found this more painful than she had anticipated. It helped that they wore lofty gowns that covered their coats and flanks. She was perfect and clean when she wore one of those gowns. She had a white coat already, but her cutie mark was too frivolous. A candy cane? That was the talent of a clumsy oaf. Of course she was going through this pain. This was punishment for an inevitably inept mare that dared to fraternize with outsiders.

"William," she whimpered under her breath. It was a good name. It wasn't frivolous like Candyhoof or Stromsinger or Twilight. Those were blasphemous names, names made by foals that liked to frolic about and act foolish in the name of a goddess that didn't know how to care for them. A _mythical_ arrangement that could never truly exist, let alone exist without constant maladies and disorder in the streets. William. It didn't have a meaning that was special or specific to him. It was simply a name, and a solid one. Still, she couldn't stop herself from whispering, "My little protector."

She tried not to shriek, to draw attention to herself, but the pain was growing unbearable. She thought for a moment, and decided that William was scared as well. He must be terrified and cold, and so she started to hum. It was the best part of her temple, the constant singing that seemed to flow through the halls and spires like life blood. It made living worth living, in her opinion, as for a moment she thought things were growing easier, that they would survive this ordeal. She smiled for just a second, but no later a terrible pain went through her worse than the times before, and she was soaked with agony before everything went dark altogether.

Ernan found Dalla at least an hour later, though it could have been longer. He didn't know how long he had been searching for her, but the old pony was weary and prepared to turn back when he heard the whimpering of a very young foal. He followed the sound before choking back horror at what he found. Her white coat was soaked in blood and she was just back enough from the rain that it hardly washed the grisly sight away. It was fortunate that she managed to find such a sheltered spot.

Curled against her belly, white coat and green mane much like hers, was the tiniest newborn colt he had ever seen. Its crying seemed to grow louder and more insistent, as if it knew it had been discovered, but it was terrified that it would be missed. He drew closer, as if to comfort it, but froze. Unmistakably, a little horn poked up from the mane that flowed over the little foal's forehead. This was a unicorn.

Dalla could have been forgiven had she lived, if not shamed and treated poorer, but Ernan would have always made sure she and her foal had food and kindness, but this…this was one of the first laws. Unicorns bore magic, and they were not to be trusted. Pegasi, though questionable, were acceptable guests though they would never be taken in as disciples, but a unicorn? Unicorns were everything that their god loathed. To think that she had completely ignored such an integral rule to see this stallion. He wanted to come up with an excuse, but he knew that she went willingly, had seen her sneak out a time or two. He had thought to stop her each time, but he knew what it was like to be her age in the temple. He had been sure that she wasn't getting into anything like this.

"If only I had known," he muttered, shaking his head helplessly as he turned away. This colt was beyond help. He would never know joy, and he would always be condemned. He was better off dead here and now. It had grown eerily quiet, and he was glad that the foal was finally subsiding, would be dead soon so he wouldn't have to worry about it any longer, but before he took another step the foal began to wail anew. It was as if he were pleading to their god for a second chance despite his deformity to his cause.

"By Sasper," Ernan whimpered, standing stiffly and listening to the cries a moment more before turning quickly. He was shaking now, soaked to the skin, and he imagined it must be worse for the tiny foal even in the shelter of the tree. He took the foal and sheltered him the best he could in his hoof as he limped back to the temple.

The moment William was picked up he settled down and stopped crying, curling against the stony grey stallion and drifting to sleep as if now assured that he would be well and safe, or maybe he was simply starving and exhausted from being left alone for hours with his dead mother. Despite himself and the warmth he suddenly felt for the colt, Ernan prayed desperately for William to die in his hooves before they could make it back to the temple.

"Sasper, my lord, nothing would be more merciful for this colt than death," he breathed, tears mingling with the rain as he passed through the gates heading into the temple.

There wasn't a single song that night, and the temple was filled with screaming and outrage, and this followed for many days to come.


End file.
